Automatic operation of plurality of radio receivers



Nov. 9, 1937. .1. MARKOWITZ 2,998,587,

' AUTOMATIC OPERATION OF PLURALITY OF RADIO RECEIVERS Filed 001;. 12, 1 93] Yuivlanon Mum.

INVENTOR Je 5 se Markowifz ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC OPERATION OF PLURALITY OF RADIO RECEIVERS 4 Claims.

This invention relates to radio broadcast receiving systems, more particularly to an arrangement whereby automatic operation thereof is obtained.

6 The present invention is a modification of that described in my co-pending application Serial No. 546,050, filed June 22, 1931, entitled Automatic operation of radio receivers. Said application is directed to means whereby a listener may in 10 advance select desired programs on a number of stations, set the apparatus, and thereafter the predetermined programs will be tuned in automatically at the proper time. This is capable of operation where only one receiving set was to be 15 tuned.

. In many cases it becomes highly desirable to tune in two or even more receiving sets as, for instance, a radio receiver and a television receiver, operating on different wave lengths, but

20 broadcasting a single program making it necessary to tune the same in simultaneously.

The present invention is intended to provide a system in which two or more receivers of any kind, either radio or television, or both radio and 25 television, may be tuned in simultaneously to predetermined wave lengths at predetermined times.

In the accompanying drawing constituting a part hereof and in which like reference char- 30 acters indicate like parts, the single figure is a diagrammatic view of my system as applied to an apparatus comprising a radio receiver and a television receiver.

I provide a program selector panel or dial I 35 having numerals thereon designating the ordinary divisions of time, and mount thereon one or more pointers Ia, Ib, I and Id, each designating a predetermined broadcasting station. Pointer Ie designates the off position of the apparatus. Each pointer is mounted on a shaft, said shafts being hollow and concentric as shown generally at 25. Each pointer and its rigidly attached shaft is operatively connected thereby to a corresponding disc 26, 21, 20, 29, and 30, respectively, each disc carrying a station contact member 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d and off contact member 26, respectively, rigidly secured thereto. By the manual operation of the pointers Ia, etc., to a designated time the contact members 2a, etc., are moved into positions to make contact at such times.

The clock I is preferably electrically operated and has a shaft I5a, so connected to the clock mechanism as to make one revolution in twelve 0 hours, there being secured to said shaft a contact arm I5b, which as it rotates makes contact with members 2a, etc.

Contact members 241, 2b, 2c, and 2d are connected by Wires 3I, 32, 33, and 34, respectively, to relays 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d, respectively, said re- 5 lays having a common terminal lead 35, which is connected to relay II, the other terminal 36 thereof being connected to the secondary of the main current transformer I0. Lead 3'! of the transformer makes contact with arm I51).

Lead 39 from the transformer I0 completes a circuit through relay 9, lead 40, off contact member 2e and arm I5b, as will be later described. The armatures of relays 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d are connected by leads M, 42, 43 and 44, respectively, to movable discs carrying corresponding contact members 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d, respectively. In the center of the disc is a contact arm 46 connected by shaft 45 to condensers Ia of the radio broadcast receiver I. Motor 5 is secured to shaft 45 through friction clutch 6 and serves to rotate contact arm 46 from which lead 46 connects through relay I2 into lead 31 of the secondary of transformer I0. The free ends of the armatures of relays, 3a., 3b, 3c, and 3d are adapted to contact with a common terminal lead 41 which connects to lead 36.

One terminal of motor 5 is connected to one lead of the current supply, the other terminal being connected by lead 48 to armature 49 of relay I2, through armature 50 of relay II, and is connected by lead 54 to the other side of the current supply.

A similar motor I05 is secured to shaft I45 through friction clutch I06 and rotates contact 5 arm I046 from which lead I46 connects through relay I2 into lead 46. Shaft I45 is connected to condensers mm of television receiver I01. Moveable discs have contact members I04a, I041), I040, and I04d connected to leads M, 42, 43, and 44 respectively.

A plug I4 is adapted to be inserted into the ordinary alternating current house circuit, and is connected to the center of a double pole double throw switch I3. The contacts on the left side thereof are directly connected to the receiver I by leads 56 and 51 for ordinary manual operation of the radio receiver. When the switch is thrown to the contacts on the right automatic operation in accordance with the present invention takes place. The main line primary circuit is connected by lead 6| to armature 62 of relay 9.

The operation of the embodiment shown is as follows:

Assuming that pointers Ia, I b, I0, and Id designate stations WBZ, WJZ, WGY'and WOR, respectively, the corresponding discs carrying contact members 40,, lb, ie, and id, respectively, and Ma, W ll), 5940, and m ld, respectively, are set to the proper wave lengths for the receivers l and ml and are fixed in position. They need not be moved unless it is desired to substitute other stations therefor. If it is desired to listen to and see the programs of WBZ at 2 P. M., WJZ at 4 P. M., WGY at 7 P. M., WOR at 8:30 P. M., and the instrument is to be turned off at 10:30 P. M., the pointers la, lb, ic, id and 56 are set as shown on dial I.

All of the relay armatures are in the positions shown and switch i3 is thrown to the right. The clock l5 causes arm Hlb to rotate until it touches station contact member 2a., at 2 P. M., closing a circuit through relays 3a and H. Relay 3a pulls down its armature. Relay Ii pulls up armature Ell completing the circuit of motors 5 and H65, starting them and causing arms 36 and Hide and condensers la and lilla; to rotate until arm le makes contact with member la energizing relay i2 and armature 49, arm lilac makes contact with member l Ma energizing relay H2 and its armature, at which moment the receiver has been tuned to the wavelengths of station WBZ. This breaks the circuit to motors 5 and H35 and stops them. As Soon as arm lEb has passed contact member 2a,, relays 530i, M, I? and H? are deenergized and the armatures of relays 311, El and [2 return to the positions shown.

In order to more clearly illustrate the operations of the apparatus, some of the parts, such as the suppressor device of my copending application which shuts off the sets while the motors are running, has not been shown or described herein. The system of the present invention is adapted to operate not only in the combination shown but also in other systems for automatic tuning. Although specifically applied to a combined radio and television receiver, it is capable of operation in other combinations, such as of two television receivers for the production of stereoscopic images, or of two radio receivers for the study of sound effects, or of two condensers or sets of condensers in a single receiver, and in many other combinations for various purposes.

The exact apparatus herein disclosed is not absolutely essential and equivalent elements may be substituted for those specifically set forth. These and other changes may be made in my invention within the spirit thereof, the scope of my invention being defined by the claims ap= pended hereto.

What I claim is: V

1. In radio reception apparatus, a clock, a mov able contact control member operated by said clock, a radio receiver, a television receiver, a motor for tuning in said radio receiver, a motor for tuning in said television receiver, a relay in a circuit of which said member is a part for simultaneously energizing both motors, and a relay adapted to be energized when its motor has tuned in its receiver for ole-energizing said motor.

2. In radio reception apparatus, a clock, a movable contact control member operated by said clock, a radio receiver, a television receiver, a motor for tuning in said radio receiver, a motor for. tuning in said television receiver, a relay in a'circuit of which said member is a part for simultaneously energizing both motors, and a relay for each of said motors adapted to be energized when its motor has tuned in its receiver for deenergizing said motor.

3. In radio reception apparatus, a clock, a movable contact control member operated by said clock, a radio receiver, a television receiver, a

' motor for tuning in said radio receiver, a motor for tuning in said television receiver, a relay in a circuit of which said member is a part for simultaneously energizing both motors, and a relay for each of said motors adapted to be energized when its motor has tuned in its receiver for deenergizing said motor, said latter relays being energized through an additional common relay.

4. In radio reception apparatus, a clock, a movable contact control member operated by said clock, a radio receiver, a television receiver, a motor for tuning in said radio receiver, a motor for tuning in said television receiver, operating mechanism in a circuit of which said member is a part for simultaneously energizing both motors, and an operating mechanism adapted to be energized when its motor has tuned in its receiver for deenergizing said motor.

JESSE MARKOWITZ. 

